Undergraduate Department of Special Education

The degree requirements outlined in this catalog are intended to be used for students entering Wheelock in the 2014-15 academic year.

Department of Special Education

Felicity Crawford, Chair and Associate Professor

Shoshanna Starr Collins, Instructor

John Crapps, Professor

Kathleen McDonough, Instructor

Hanna Rue, Instructor

Stephanie Cox Suarez, Associate Professor

AVAILABLE PROGRAMS OF STUDY:

B.S, Special Education Major: Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities

Minor, Understanding Autism

B.S/ Special Education: Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities/40 Credits

This is a nationally recognized program that leads to the Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8) Initial license from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The program prepares professionals to work with children, in prekindergarten through eighth grade, with mild to moderate disabilities who participate in inclusive, resource, or substantially separate classrooms in public or private schools. Students develop skills in inclusive curriculum design, creating a supportive classroom ecology, differentiating instruction, understanding and managing behavior, collaborative problemsolving, and commitment to equity for all children in a multiracial and multicultural society. Students must participate in a faculty group interview prior to acceptance into the program. For information on teacher licensure, please refer to the Professional Certification and Licensure section of this catalog on page 22-23.

Students will:

Develop a theoretical framework for understanding and evaluating special educational practice

Learn to use a variety of informal and formal assessments to document students’ development and learning.

Work with children with special needs and their families in diverse communities in a multicultural society.

Establish goals and objectives; select, modify, and develop materials and instructional activities for inclusive and special education settings.

Learn techniques and materials for developing language, academic, and social skills for students with exceptionalities, including students who are learning English as a second language.

Course Requirements

36–40 credits

Required Support Courses (Credits may apply to General Education Requirements)

Passing scores on the MTEL (Communication and Literacy Skills Test [both sub-tests] must be received prior to course selection for the first practicum. Passing scores on the General Curriculum [both subtests], and Foundation of Reading tests must be obtained prior to course selection of SPE 467; students are strongly advised to complete SPP 470, Practicum II prior to taking the capstone and portfolio courses.

Minor/Understanding Autism/16 credits

Understanding Autism is a 16-credit (4 course) interdisciplinary minor that is open to all Wheelock undergraduate students. The minor offers students the opportunity to understand the cognitive, language, social, emotional and physical aspects of individuals with autism. It introduces and examines current approaches and strategies that enable people with autism to communicate and participate fully in their lives. Students will explore current research-based interventions, teaching methodologies, services and programs as well as fully consider the personal stories of people with autism. Students will begin to develop professional skills to foster the development of effective programs and to advocate for individuals with autism and their families and communities.